Day 2
started with this magnificent view from our balcony as we awoke in Padma Resort Ubud.
Such Wonderful View From Our Balcony - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
Moments
later, we were back in Puhu Restaurant for breakfast. Breakfast was very good, there were live
stations for wok fried carbs, eggs and noodles.
There was also a juice bar from where you can order fresh juice. The espresso based drinks were machine made
so they were quite generic. The rest were the
usual cereal, breads & pastries, proteins and fruits. Again, food quality was excellent and they
tasted great. I really enjoyed the wok station's fried noodles and fried rice while the missus was in favour of the chicken noodles. We also caught a glimpse of Chef Degan at work, talking to the guests, checking whether the food quality was up to standards, even acceding to selfie requests from some of the guests.
Daytime View of Puhu - RX100 Mk3
After
breakfast, we returned to our rooms, bathed and dressed up, all ready for the
day’s activities. Since our shuttle was
at 12 pm, the kids and I decided to go to the animal garden first while the missus waited at the lobby.
There was a
big fishing pond right smack in the middle of the garden. Next to the pond were cages, housing
miniature chickens, birds, turtle, civet cat, pigeons and newly hatched chicks. Bird feeding sure was exciting when the
pigeons started to pounce on you as soon as they noticed the dried corn grains
in your palm. The kids, though afraid in
the beginning, came to enjoy it after they got accustomed to the gentle pecks
on their palms as those hungry little fowls fed while perched on their arms.
Fishing Pond in Animal Garden - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
Lincoln With His Hungry Feathered Chums - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
After that
encounter, we went further up to the guinea pig, rabbit & cows
enclosures. Guinea pigs and rabbits are
quite common, so it was the cow feeding that the kids found really fascinating. I myself found the cows to be gentle creatures
despite their hefty size. They were 2 girls by
the way and they go by the names “Kimi” and “Kumi”.
And This Is Kumi - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
I’m quite
fond of cows. In fact, I don’t eat beef.
At first it was due to health
reasons. I used to have gout, but ever
since I abstained from red meat (beef in particular, 13 years and counting), the gout attacks stopped
altogether. On top of that, my cholesterol
and blood fat levels are actually quite healthy too for someone my age and
weight.
Sometime
later, I came across videos of how cows were slaughtered which were really quite
startling…. I noticed that although they
are mere animals, they do know when they’re about to get slaughtered. Their resistance and distress resemble those of humans very much.
After seeing those images, I really couldn’t in good conscience, bring
myself to eat beef. Cows are useful animals, they provide milk, help the farmers toil their lands (that’s
hard work…), yet how could we still consume them? Anyway, I’m glad to know that my abstaining
from beef contributes to the earth’s well being too.
Cows produce methane gas through their burps and farts when digesting their
food. Methane is a greenhouse gas that
is 30 times more efficient than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. In one of the climate change documentary
episodes, “Years of Living Dangerously” I remembered a line that said, “If all
the cows in the world were to form a nation, they will be the 3rd
largest greenhouse gas producer in the world behind US and China”. So… Do
your part and reduce your beef intake yeah?
It’ll help the environment and yourself too.
OK, back to
the holiday. We would visit Kimi and
Kumi again before we leave Padma Ubud, but for now, we had to leave for Ubud Centre and so we
assembled at the lobby and boarded the shuttle.
The journey to Ubud Centre from Padma Resort would take about 30 minutes. Padma Ubud’s shuttle stops at Puri Lukisan, which
is among some of the well-known art museums in the vicinity. But as the kids don’t appreciate art so well
yet, we just explored the streets first.
Can't Miss This Colourful Sign - Galaxy Note 9
Our first
stop was Gelato Secrets to satisfy the kids’ (and mine) sweet tooth. Lindsay sure enjoyed her dark chocolate treat
there.
A Scoop of Dark Chocolate Gelato For Linday - RX100 Mk3
The missus wanted to shop, so next
stop was Havaianas which is just across the road, followed by a stop at
Pithecanthropus. We were told by the staffs that there's a bigger shop in Monkey Forest road, so we made short of that stop and continued on our way.
The weather
in March is wet in Bali, so we were always on the lookout for the rain. From Pithecanthropus, we went straight to
Pura Saraswati, another well-known landmark in Ubud. Pura Saraswati is also known as the lotus
pond temple, as the walkway from the outer entrance to the main temple is
surrounded by a scenic lotus pond.
A Still of The Scenic Temple - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
Right Outside The Main Temple - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
After
a short photo taking session there, we journeyed on to Ubud Centre Art Market. We didn’t get anything much there other than
souvenirs for our colleagues.
Outside Ubud Art Market - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
One of The Shops Inside - Galaxy Note 9
As the weather turned inclement, we quickly made our way to Tukies Coconut
Shop. It was a timely stop as moments
after we stepped in, the skies promptly poured on Ubud Centre.
While the rain was descending unabashedly, we took refuge inside Tukies in the company of sweet
treats such as coconut ice cream and iced cendol. The coconut ice cream was tops! Will drop by Tukies again next time for
sure.
It Doesn't Look Much But Tastes Great! - Galaxy Note 9
After
spending some half hour in Tukies, we walked to Seniman Coffee Studio which is
also nearby. Although Seniman Coffee got
a lot of raves from my wife’s friends, I’m not a fan. The food was alright. The coffee was too acidic to my liking. I prefer dark roast always, while the coffee
in Seniman are mostly light to medium roasts.
I had the 10-hour cold brew, which on the first sip tasted like bitter, citrussy soda water. Even the missus’
mocha still had a tinge of acidity in it when I took a sip.
Very nice petite café, but so-so coffee for me.
Seniman Coffee Studio Entrance - RX100 Mk3
A Better View of The Cafe - RX100 Mk3
View From Our Seats - RX100 Mk3
My 10 Hour Cold Brew, Not My Kind of Coffee... - RX100 Mk3
After we
were done in Seniman, we went to the Pithecanthropus shop at Monkey Forest road
which is much bigger than the one on Jalan Raya Ubud. Pithecanthropus sells high quality batik
fashion, each of us got a piece for ourselves.
Unfortunately before we could leave, it rained cats and dogs.
While borrowing an umbrella from the shop, I
rushed to a nearby mini mart to buy 2 sets of raincoats. My wife and I shared a raincoat with the kids each and we walked back from Monkey Forest Road to Puri Lukisan under the heavy
rain. It was a very funny experience,
walking under heavy rain with the kids. Despite
wearing the raincoat, my pants was still completely drenched due to the strong
winds blowing and me having to cover Lincoln which resulted in the bottom part
always opening up. Along the way, we got
2 ponchos for the kids although it wasn’t of much help nor use by then. And what amazed me was, even under that heavy rain my wife still made a stop at a bath and soap shop to buy something... At that moment I wondered if I had been a reckless parent,
walking under a storm with the kids.
Hopefully the kids would remember it as a fun experience. J
Somewhere Near Puri Lukisan, Our Pick-Up Point - RX100 Mk3
Anyway, we made our way back to Padma on the 6 o’clock shuttle. As we were completely bushed, we just bathed and had room service after a
long tiring day.
It was a
fun-filled, and certainly eventful adventure that marked our 2nd day in Ubud.
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